Grab a copy of Linux mint http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php Then follow this guide http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-6-felicia and stop spreading FUD

Imagine a mom sitting with a fresh intall of Windows (let’s even assume that the installation, activation and driver installation has been done by a geek for her). Read PDF files? Nope. Open RAR archives? Nope. Talk to friends on Yahoo? Nope. Read a book in Djvu format? Don’t even think about this. Got a .torrent file to mp3 download? Forget about this. Want to install a new application? Too risky without a virus and malware protection, unless she is sure that she downloads from the right website (and she is not a geek to be sure). Want to see a video file? In most cases – no. Hey, she needs a geek to help her do all these things, while in Ubuntu she could do them either out of the box or by following prompts.

You say:
“As for the command line, you do realize that most all linux software that has a GUI is really just a pretty wrapper for the underlying command line utility”. So what? I work with the UI, and don’t care about the stuff behind the scenes.

You say:
“you’ll need root access to fix anything in Linux anyway”. First, I do not fix anything in Ubuntu, because as I already said, everything just works. And no, I don’t need to login as root (if that is what you mean) to do advanced things because Ubuntu asks for my admin (non-root) password when necessary.

So here in this article and comments we have another FUD. You install codec packs in Windows – good for you, but how many moms and dads can do that in Windows, do they know what a codec is? While in Ubuntu they can just try to play a file and follow the prompts.

You say that it’s hard to install VLC, which is NOT true, because VLC is in the repositories and all you need is to check a checkbox next to it. Probably your Fedora doesn’t put it to repositories (like many drivers and other software), and you still say that Ubuntu is just the same Gnome???

You bash Linux based on your Fedora experience and I still don’t get why you’ve put Ubuntu logo to this article.

Once again, Fedora is a good distro, but it’s purpose is to test different bleeding edge things on a community before Red Hat puts them to RHEL.

A simple google search “fedora 10 desktop” results in this being on the top spot. If you would have done that you wouldn’t end up in some for your needs odd strange behaviour of extracting tarballs, compile and install. I’ve worked with Fedora for some time, even though my main OS both home and at the work place is Arch, and I’ve on request installed to several non-savvy users just because it despite initial hiccups because of its nature is very stable in the long run. Still Fedora’s focus is writing code upstream and not to deliver a “safe” desktop experience, hence a lot of Fedora’s work eventually show up in other distributions.

The examples in the article is very unfortunate and difficult to take seriously. On one hand Compiz is a serious obstacle for success and then you conclude in the end that “Linux is a hobbyist OS”. Didn’t you get a bit confused there about what makes an OS a serious working environment? The reasons for proprietary media formats not being included in the bundle of Fedora is so obvious that I can’t believe that you dare to publicly publish this article. Fedora is closely linked to Red Hat, a company with its base in the US. Go figure what would happen if Fedora would take some liberties… Fedora would for sure, and probably also Red Hat, never become a stumbling block for you since they would vanish in a judicial massacre.

The media codec stuff is boring, since it’s not an issue any more. It’s not a more serious obstacles than to get Windows to play ogg and flac. For many flac has become the de facto standard and learnt how to make WMP play flac (even though that possibility seems to be broken in latest versions of WMP) or that Foobar is a perfect player for the task.

No operating system of today is even close to be viewed as perfect. Linux has flaws just as the others. Many who use Linux do it with the pretext of “Linux sucks but it sucks less”. Your scheme to sell Linux computers isn’t new and have been tried, but you have to realize the market force that works against any such success. In 2002 Windows was estimated to control 97,5 % of the desktop market, now it’s 10 % less. Even if Linux only has 1 % in some parts of the world it’s already ready for millions and has taken its niche. In most other markets where you see more healthy competition 1 % of the worldwide market is huge. Linux wasn’t created to compete with Windows but to create a tool taking advantages of what some viewed as better computing. If only 1 % have that goal, even though it’s around 2 % where I live, it’s amazing to see how a small movement can be one of the fastest in technical advancements. To use or not to use it is and shall always be a free choice.

Overall your “prime time” come across as a somewhat obscure label with no obvious substance. I’m probably a savvy Linux user but I’m surrounded by many non-savvy Linux users in the ages 7 to 75. One thing for sure is that they’re not in the limelight writing blog entries, and maybe that’s why they’re not “ready” for “prime time”?

LOL, I think you mean if Redhat buys out Canonical (the makers of Ubuntu).

Do you know that close to half of Google employees use Ubuntu for their work OS?

I guess you just don’t get that Redhat focuses on Linux for servers and Canonical focuses on Linux for desktops. You use the desktop version of an OS built for servers, and you don’t even bother to try the OS built for desktops. Of course you are going to have those problems.

And eegads, who watches Netflix on their computer? Only geeks do that. Casual users would watch it on their TV through their Xbox 360. So casual users won’t be complaining about that. If you are geeky enough to do that, I’m sure you can figure out how to get it to play on Linux.

When I first heard about AWN, it took me 2 minutes to find and install it.

Though if you really want to evaluate a Linux OS for ease of use, I’d recommend Linux Mint first. It’s even easier to use and their specialized “Add/Remove” program is even nicer and easier to use. And their integration with Wine is pretty good if you just have to use THAT windows executable and not the linux version.

As for some of your other misconceptions, there is no root account in Ubuntu and Ubuntu will mail you a free CD if you ask them to. And yes, there is Silverlight for Linux.

However, now you are making a different argument. Is it a replacement for Windows for all users? Or is it ready for primetime? Two different questions.

Many users have to run a specific Windows application that just doesn’t work well in Wine (I do hear that WoW does work well though). Obviously, they can’t replace their Windows machine. But that would be true if it was an Apple application for an Apple user.

But is it ready for primetime? If you mean is it easy to use enough for a casual user? Then yes, Linux Mint is very easy to use for casual users.

For example, I have an aunt who is extremely computer illiterate. Using Windows is very challenging for her. Linux Mint is a far better option for her because it’s not like it’s any harder and she can’t get infected. I can rename all the standard icons to something she recognizes and everything works out of the box saving me time. Her computer runs faster since she doesn’t have to run virus scanners and her computer is no longer slowed by adware.

Is it a replacement for my work computer? No, I develop in .NET, so of course I’m going to use a Windows machine. Do I run another Linux machine? Yes, it has its applications.

Your replies show you are a Windows evangelist. For your information there is deliberately no root account in Ubuntu, to stop the misinformed “just running root all the time”. You sudo to gain root privileges, but that times out after you finish whatever task you used it for. An advanced Linux user can add a root account, but very few would bother.

“So you’re a piracy advocate?” You have a gall accusing me of advocating piracy, for it is I who advocate Linux. Piracy is for Windows people, all my machines only run Linux, a mixture of Debian and Ubuntu, thus piracy is not only laughable, but almost impossible in a system where everything is free.

Maybe if there was a concerted effort with a commercial focus. Maybe you get all the people at Gnome and Ubuntu to go work for Redhat and then you begin licensing with hardware vendors (you’ll need money), and you create OS/2 Warp.

I’ll try Ubuntu again to see if it does everything I want automagically, and then allows me to easily find new software when my needs change, and I’ll definitely give Fedora 11 a try, but really, you use it for a while and realize you still need Windows for something, so its just a hobby.

I’ve included the summary since I thought it was rather ironic with your post.

“The Verdict
I like Linux Mint a lot. In some ways it’s what I wish Ubuntu itself had been. If I had to choose between the two of them, I would pick Linux Mint because it’s Ubuntu but better. While I noted a few things that could be improved, Linux Mint is definitely worth a download.

I really like the look and feel of Linux Mint. The artwork and the overall aesthetics of this distribution are very easy on the eyes. In an odd way it reminds me of Mac OS X without all the overbearing Apple glitter or the Apple tax. It’s slick.

And don’t just run it in Live CD mode either. Give it an install on your system. If I were in the market for an alternative to Windows, Linux Mint would definitely be at the top of my list. I still hear some people say “Linux still isn’t ready for the desktop” and stuff like that sometimes.

Well these people clearly haven’t used Linux Mint.”

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2345944,00.asp

The interesting thing about your article is if you replace everywhere you use “Linux” with Fedora, it would be much more accurate. Especially since that’s the only OS you are familiar with of the Linux family (Linux is a kernel, not an OS).

“Fedora might not be the easiest distribution to use, or the one with the largest package repository, but we feel it represents the very best that open source software has to offer.”

Your complaints are that “Linux” is not easy to use and the codecs are not installed by default. Lucky you, there is a Linux distro that will solve that problem for you.

Personally, I want an OS that’s easy to use and “just works” on my hardware. And I don’t care if my OS includes non-open source software. That only leaves me with Ubuntu and Linux Mint as options.

But for the everyday Linux geek who doesn’t mind digging through a command line, sure, Fedora is perfect. But their hardline of not including open source software makes it more of an unnecessary challenge.